Page:The Pilgrim's Progress, the Holy War, Grace Abounding Chunk1.djvu/155

Rh Ignorant thou art of what justifying righteousness is, and ignorant how to secure thy soul, through the faith of it, from the heavy wrath of God. Yea, thou also art ignorant of the true effects of saving faith in this righteousness of Christ, which is to bow and win over the heart to God in Christ, to love his name, his word, ways, and people, and not as thou ignorantly imaginest.

Hope. Ask him if ever he had Christ revealed to him from heaven.

Ignor. What! you are a man for revelations! I do believe that what both you and all the rest of you say about that matter is but the fruit of distracted brains.

Hope. Why, man I Christ is so hid in God from the natural apprehension of all flesh, that he cannot by any man he savingly known, unless God the Father reveals him to him.

Ignor. That is your faith, but not mine; yet mine, I doubt not, is as good as yours, though I have not in my head so many whimsies as you.

Chr. Give me leave to put in a word. You ought not so slightly to speak of this matter: for this I will boldly affirm, even as my good companion hath done, that no man can know Jesus Christ but by the revelation of the Father; yea, and faith too, by which the soul layeth hold upon Christ (if it be right), must be wrought by the exceeding greatness of his mighty power (Matt. xi. 27. 1 Cor. xii. 3. Eph. i. 17–19); the working of which faith, I perceive, poor Ignorance, thou art ignorant of. Be awakened, then; see thine own wretchedness, and fly to the Lord Jesus; and by his righteousness, which is the righteousness of God (for he himself is God), thou shalt he delivered from condemnation.

Ignor. You go so fast I cannot keep pace with you; do you go on before: I must stay a while behind.

Then they said.—

Well. Ignorance, wilt thou yet foolish be,

To slight good counsel ten times given thee?